This seems to be coming up a lot in all these tach threads. I know how all us professionals feel about hiring a professional to do the job, but sometimes that is not an option. How do you think people can get around this? Is there even a way? Do we all need to start renting ourselves out as tech advisors or consultants? Any comments?

Well, I've been known to donate a certain amount of time as a consultant, but I think it's also necessary for schools and small companies to realize that a professional TD/LD (for a small show they often are the same person) is a necessary cost of business; many of the schools who say they can't afford a professional are losing more money in wasted stagehand time than they would have paid the pro in the first place.<P>------------------<BR>Jeffrey E. Salzberg, Lighting Designer<BR>"Shang-a-lang, feel the <I>sturm und drang</I> in the air!"<BR>Online portfolio: <A HREF="http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg" TARGET=_blank>http://www.suncoast.quik.com/salzberg</A> <P><BR>

I would add that many an organization will spend a fortune of costumes, a bundle on a set, and a king's ransom to license a particular Balanchine piece... and the expect to do the rest of the production on the cheap.<P>And as to the price of hiring a professional production person, or designer, I'd also add that I personally don't know of anyone working in this city that doesn't have a sliding scale based on that person's knowledge of an organization's ability to pay for the work.

I definitely have a "sliding scale". It depends on how much I think they can afford, how much work I had to do and how much crap I had to deal with. I've also been known to walk into a dress rehearsal tell them what they've done wrong and how to fix it and walk out for free. I think many of these schools and companies that think they can't afford a pro are really just too lazy to look for an appropriate one.

What do we qualifies someone as a "professional". Some would say a college degree in the field you are working, but niether my husband nor I have a degree in costumes or lighting respectively. We however have considerable experience with established professional companies as well as "semi-professional" companies.<P>What say you?

This weekend I had a discussion with some other designers and technicians, and this topic was debated quite a bit. It was interesting that almost to a man/woman, we agreed that we were more insulted to see what we considered to be "bad" work than to have been asked if there was anything either we could do, or at least suggest someone who could help.

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